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Objective of the project

The project investigates IoT technologies. The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionary potential, a smart web of sensors, actuators, cameras, robots, drones and other connected devices allowing for an unprecedented level of control and automated decision-making. However, large‐scale uptake of IoT in agriculture is prevented by a lack of interoperability, user concerns about data ownership, privacy and security, and appropriate business models that are also suitable for (very) small companies. Consequently, IoT applications in farming and food are mainly used by a small group of early adopters, despite the great interest of IoT technology providers and investors. The project Internet of Food & Farm 2020 (IoF2020) addresses the organizational and technological challenges to overcome this situation. IoF2020 explores the potential of IoT-technologies for the European food and farming industry to foster a large-scale uptake of the IoT in the European farming and food domain, contributing to a next huge innovation boost, and hence to improved productivity and sustainability. For making precision farming a reality, thereby moving towards a more sustainable food value chain, the project pursues the following targets:

Demonstrating the business case of IoT for a large number of application areas in farming and food.

Integrating and reusing available IoT technologies by exploiting open architectures and standards.

Ensuring user acceptability of IoT solutions in farming and food by addressing user needs, including security, privacy, and trust.

Ensuring the sustainability of IoT solutions beyond the project by validating the related business models and setting up an IoT ecosystem for large-scale uptake.

Main outcomes and recommendations of the project

IoF2020 is designed to generate maximum impact right from the outset as well as in the long run, bringing together and integrating the supply and demand sides of IoT technologies in the agri‐food sector:

From the supply side, the project contributes to securing Europe’s leading position in the global IoT industry by fostering a symbiotic ecosystem of technology providers and players from the agri‐food sector. Additionally, it promotes innovative/ disruptive business models.

From the demand side, the project helps accelerate the virtuous cycle of adoption and maturation of IoT technologies in the agri‐food sector to guarantee safe and adequate food for upcoming generations of European citizens.

In this manner, IoF2020 paves the way towards data-drive farming that is capable of providing higher production yields in a more sustainable and environmentally-responsible way while also making the European farming sector more competitive in an increasingly globalized world. More specifically, IoF2020 aims to generate the following outcomes:

Significantantly, measurably contributing to standards or pre-normative activities in the pilots’ areas of action via the implementation of open platforms;

Improving citizens’ quality of life in public and private spheres in terms of autonomy, convenience and comfort, participatory approaches, health and lifestyle, and access to services.

Creating opportunities for entrepreneurs by promoting new market openings, providing access to valuable datasets and direct interactions with users, expanding local businesses to European scale, etc.

Developing secure and sustainable European IoT ecosystems, and contributing to IoT infrastructures viable beyond the duration of the pilot.

Innovation scale and stage

The project involves trials in five agri-food areas (arable, dairy, vegetables, fruits, meat), and focuses on 19 use cases. The trials address coherent sets of challenges that are both important from an agri-food-business perspective and promising from a technical IoT perspective. Use cases focus on early adopters and early majority farmers and food companies, and involve both organic and conventional farming. The whole food chain is covered, from the farmer up to the consumer. The trials take place throughout Europe with partners from 18 countries, and will integrate technologies ranging from IoT devices and connectivity to IoT intelligence.

A key factor in the selection and definition of use cases has been the commitment and active participation of users, including several type of stakeholders. This form of interactive innovation is reflected in the design of IoF2020 in which different actors will combine practical and scientific knowledge from different fields to generate innovative solutions that are likely implemented in commercial situations thanks to cross‐fertilisation of ideas between actors, the co‐creation process, and the generation of open, co‐owned results. The lean start‐up methodology ensures the focus on the benefits for end‐users.

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